A teenager in Wisconsin is set to serve less than 10 years behind bars after he accidentally killed his cousin with a firearm, as determined by a Wisconsin court.
Javier Rodriguez, aged 19, pleaded guilty to one count of reckless homicide in the second degree for the killing of 10 year old Isdennyeliz Ortiz in 2024.
On Thursday, Rodriguez was handed a 10-year prison sentence by a Milwaukee County court, with credit given for just under 14 months spent in pretrial detention, according to Law and Crime. The outlet further reported that he will spend eight years on supervised release following the completion of his sentence, while a few months ago a pitball is reported to have accidentally shot its owner.
The tragic incident took place on May 31, 2024, on the south side of Milwaukee, where all the building’s occupants were related, police stated.
Isdennyeliz Ortiz, aged 10, was in her mother’s bed when she was fatally shot through the ceiling around 12:40 a.m, reports the Mirror US.
Following the incident, the young girl’s mother informed police that her nephew confessed to playing with a gun and accidentally discharging it, as reported by WITI and WTMJ after obtaining a criminal complaint.
Rodriguez, who was 18 at the time of the shooting, reportedly fled the scene before the arrival of the police.
He was apprehended and charged days later, with prosecutors alleging that Rodriguez was on the top floor of the building when the firearm discharged.
Law and Crime reported that the bullet pierced a sofa cushion before penetrating the floor and ceiling of the upper flat where the accused resided, and where Isdennyeliz was in bed with her mother and brother.
“She heard [Isdennyeliz] say “ouch. ” She asked [Isdennyeliz] if she was alright and shook her, but she received no response, so she turned on the light. She then saw that [Isdennyeliz] had been shot in the chest and was bleeding. She saw a fresh bullet hole in the ceiling,” recounted Isdennyeliz’s mother in the complaint, as per Law and Crime.
“It’s my fault,” Rodriguez reportedly confessed to Isdennyeliz’s mother. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I did it,” Isdennyeliz’s 14 year old sister reportedly heard Rodriguez admit.
The authorities disclosed the defendant’s grandmother’s detailed account of the incident.
“She said she was sleeping in the basement flat with her husband when her grandson, the defendant, suddenly entered the room asking if they were OK. A few minutes later her son, the defendant’s father, came into the room and informed her that a tragedy had occurred, explaining that the defendant had been playing with a gun when it accidentally discharged and shot.”
The suspect was identified through surveillance camera footage.
Just prior to the gunfire, Rodriguez, his father, and another person were caught on video standing outside in a parking area near an above-ground pool.
According to police, the footage clearly shows the accused holding a “tan firearm” while sporting “a blue rubber glove” as he appears to enter the building via a rear entrance alongside the third party.
Approximately 44 seconds into the recording, a “loud bang” can be heard.
“Footage from a clip starting at 12:45:08 shows the defendant, shirtless, frantically running back and forth through the rear area,” the complaint stated. “His grandfather comes into camera view and the defendant says something to him before the clips stops.”